News and Gossip

by

Doctor Gadwall

Britney's Column

Wednesday 20th July

This time of year is really quiet for birding so like most birders I tend to expand my interests into other areas. I’ve been spending most of my time studying DNA (No! not to try and work out who baby Pauletta’s father is - I know it’s one of half a dozen local birders) but to find out how closely related the Hawfinches in the Ryton area are to Chaffinches. More closer than you may think I reckon.

However, most birders tend to study various sorts of flying insects during these quiet times, particularly moths it seems. It’s something that I know little about so I did speak to Doctor Gadwall who as well as giving me a thorough examination did tell be a bit about moths too. Its not that bad for nocturnal birds either as he tells me as well as getting regular Tawny Owls and Woodcocks, last week when attending a trap in Chester-le-Street he looked up to see a Long-eared Owl sitting in a nearby small tree watching what he was doing. The jammy old sod.

I have since spoken to a few of the locals to see what their favourite moth is. The Chairman of the Sunniside 400 Club’s favourite is The Streak Chesias legatella– we all know why that is. The Birtley Bishop’s favourite is The Drinker Euthrix potatoria though he is also partial to an Old Lady Mormo maura. The generous Mr. McLay likes Pauper Pugs Eupithecia egenaria while the Pizza Delivery Boy (will the last warden please turn off the lights when he leaves) has had more Suspecteds Parastichtis suspecta than anyone else I know. The Grandmaster stayed awake long enough to tell me he is all Confused – I assume he means Apamea furva. The Whitburn boys all love Dark Daggers Acronicta tridens (usually in the back). Pueblo Hugelist also likes moths but not butterflies since someone told him to take the Peacock off his year list. I did try to contact the Dodgy Bird Club not only to see if they had a favourite but also to see where my 1955 (or whatever the next one) annual report is. They are now as scarce as a long-staying Houghton rarity. All I was told was they are Uncertain Hoplodrina alsines.

So what about me. Funnily enough the Doctor passed on two emails from readers of my little column inquiring more about me, one wanting to see a picture. You probably know what I look like as you would have seen me at some rare bird or another. If not then a clue would be my favourite moth - Beautiful Gothic Leucochlaena oditis or is it Great Prominent Peridea anceps?

Love

Britney

x x x

Certain readers were happy that Britney did done a runner with the Radox Man. But she is now back!. Britney would like to thank you for all your kind letters while she has been away having her baby, Pauletta.

Feigning Injury

Its quite well-known that some birds, particularly waders, feign injury if a predator gets too close to their nest or young. However an interesting note from one of the locals birders has just been sent to the Doctor.

An evening visit to Far Pasture after a very hot, very hectic June day proved interesting. On the approach road a Common Whitethroat was singing close by from a bush in front of me, plenty of them about but I haven’t really had a close look at one yet this year. This particular individual proceeded to fly across my path from the bushes to the vegetation by the fence. At this point I stopped to view it with my bins and as I got a fix on it, the bird obviously got a fix on me, and promptly dropped on to the road. It then ruffled its feathers, dropped one wing as if injured and sort of limped away from me, looking back in my direction every couple of steps. It continued to very slowly edge away until I started to move towards it, and after I had taken a few steps it regained composure and flew off into the undergrowth. I imagine this was some sort of ploy to guide me away from its nest or young like I’ve heard of Woodcock doing, but have never seen this behaviour before and was totally unexpected from a Whitethroat.

The old Doctor does not know how regularly they do that but can recall a Chiffchaff doing exactly the same to him in the Derwent valley many years ago. It is more common than generally thought as he has also seen both Yellow & Reed Buntings and several North American Warblers showing similar behaviour.